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Barack Obama Presidential Center
The Barack Obama Presidential Center is a museum, library, and education project in Chicago to commemorate the presidency of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. The center will also include community and conference facilities and will house the nonprofit Obama Foundation. Construction on the 19.3-acre (7.8 ha) campus began in 2021, the tower topped out in mid-2024, and the center is expected to open in the first half of 2026.
The center's work includes digitizing the Barack Obama Presidential Library with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), to create the first fully digitized presidential library. The Library is administered by NARA, which will preserve hardcopies of documents at a separate NARA facility; however, many will be loaned to the Presidential Center for display.
The center is located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, adjacent to the University of Chicago campus. The university provides planning, support, engagement and programming. Included within the center's plans is a new branch for the Chicago Public Library.
Originally slated to open in 2021, it is now projected to open in 2026. Federal review ended in December 2020; groundbreaking was in August 2021. Delays have been due to lawsuits and budget overruns. The center, on 19.3 acres, includes several buildings for the museum, library, foundation, community, and athletic facilities. Most of the land is being constructed as landscaped urban park with playgrounds and gardens, and includes reclaiming a previous roadway for parkland. The buildings and land are owned by the City of Chicago, with the foundation given a 99-year use, construction, and maintenance agreement.
The Obama Foundation board includes Chairman Marty Nesbitt, a close friend from Chicago; J. Kevin Poorman, president and CEO of PSP Capital Partners; David Plouffe; Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng; venture capital financier John Doerr; Studio Museum in Harlem Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden; fundraiser and former White House Social Secretary Julianna Smoot; investment managers John Rogers and Michael Sacks; and former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick. Barack Obama has a home in Hyde Park. The foundation was formally established in January 2014.
Louise Bernard, outgoing Director of Exhibitions at the New York Public Library, was named director of the Museum of the Obama Presidential Center in May 2017. Michael Strautmanis became the vice-president of civic engagement for the foundation in 2016.
Kenvi Phillips was appointed as the inaugural director of the Barack Obama Presidential Library for a term beginning June 16, 2024.
In 2014, the Obama Foundation released details for institutions interested in being the location of the center.
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Barack Obama Presidential Center
The Barack Obama Presidential Center is a museum, library, and education project in Chicago to commemorate the presidency of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. The center will also include community and conference facilities and will house the nonprofit Obama Foundation. Construction on the 19.3-acre (7.8 ha) campus began in 2021, the tower topped out in mid-2024, and the center is expected to open in the first half of 2026.
The center's work includes digitizing the Barack Obama Presidential Library with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), to create the first fully digitized presidential library. The Library is administered by NARA, which will preserve hardcopies of documents at a separate NARA facility; however, many will be loaned to the Presidential Center for display.
The center is located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, adjacent to the University of Chicago campus. The university provides planning, support, engagement and programming. Included within the center's plans is a new branch for the Chicago Public Library.
Originally slated to open in 2021, it is now projected to open in 2026. Federal review ended in December 2020; groundbreaking was in August 2021. Delays have been due to lawsuits and budget overruns. The center, on 19.3 acres, includes several buildings for the museum, library, foundation, community, and athletic facilities. Most of the land is being constructed as landscaped urban park with playgrounds and gardens, and includes reclaiming a previous roadway for parkland. The buildings and land are owned by the City of Chicago, with the foundation given a 99-year use, construction, and maintenance agreement.
The Obama Foundation board includes Chairman Marty Nesbitt, a close friend from Chicago; J. Kevin Poorman, president and CEO of PSP Capital Partners; David Plouffe; Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng; venture capital financier John Doerr; Studio Museum in Harlem Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden; fundraiser and former White House Social Secretary Julianna Smoot; investment managers John Rogers and Michael Sacks; and former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick. Barack Obama has a home in Hyde Park. The foundation was formally established in January 2014.
Louise Bernard, outgoing Director of Exhibitions at the New York Public Library, was named director of the Museum of the Obama Presidential Center in May 2017. Michael Strautmanis became the vice-president of civic engagement for the foundation in 2016.
Kenvi Phillips was appointed as the inaugural director of the Barack Obama Presidential Library for a term beginning June 16, 2024.
In 2014, the Obama Foundation released details for institutions interested in being the location of the center.